The present invention relates generally to hybrid networks and, more particularly, to a network framework for facilitating interface roaming.
As wireless communication is moving from being voice centric to data centric, the need to move towards devices that are more integrated are being pursued. People are creating smart phones, which integrate PDA functionality and a larger display with a cell phone, or people are trying to integrate cell phone (voice and data) functionality into a pocket sized PDA. The goal of most of these efforts is to offer the user a wireless Internet experience. However, this integration effort is difficult, as the user on the one expects a small form factor cell phone, but at the same time expect a full graphical internet experience when surfing the net, and a large display is required to offer an acceptable experience. Therefore, existing integration efforts are making a trade off between size and graphical experience (display size).
A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for utilizing a wireless link in an interface roaming network. A wireless link is utilized to scan a vicinity of the wireless link to detect one or more interface clients in the vicinity. The wireless link then transmits to an infrastructure server information relating to the interface clients detected in the vicinity. Based on the transmitted information, the infrastructure server then selects one of the interface clients. Subsequently, the wireless link receives a notification from the infrastructure server of the selected interface client and a connection between the infrastructure server and the selected interface client is initiated for communication therebetween.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the wireless link may, upon activation, transmit an activation notification to the infrastructure server prior to scanning the vicinity for interface clients to indicate to the infrastructure server that the wireless link is activated. In another embodiment of the present invention, the wireless link may periodically scan the vicinity utilizing the wireless link to detect additional interface clients, and, if an additional interface client is detected in the vicinity of the wireless link, notify the infrastructure server of the detection of the additional interface client(s). Subsequently, the wireless link may receive a query from the infrastructure server as to whether the user of the wireless link wants to connect to the additional interface client. The wireless link may include a display for displaying the query to the user and an input device for permitting the user to input an answer to the query for subsequent transmission from the wireless link to the infrastructure server.
In an aspect of the present invention, wherein the infrastructure server and the selected interface client are connected for communication via the wireless link. In an additional aspect of the present invention, the scanning of the vicinity to detect one or more interface clients may include receiving a signal from each interface client in the vicinity of the wireless link. In another embodiment of such an aspect, the wireless link may first transmit an initial signal in the vicinity for receipt by interface clients in the vicinity whereby the signals received by the wireless link from the interface clients in the vicinity of the wireless link are transmitted by the interface clients in response to the initial signal from the wireless link.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the information relating to the interface clients detected in the vicinity may include information relating the capabilities of the detected interface clients. The information may also include information relating to the locations of the detected information. In one embodiment, the information may be transmitted to the infrastructure server from the wireless link is provided to the wireless link by the interface clients. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, formatting information may be received by the wireless link from the infrastructure server. The wireless link may then subsequently receive content from the infrastructure server. The wireless link may format the content based on the received formatting information and then transmit the formatted information to the interface client so that the formation information may be displayed by the interface client. As an option, the formatted content may be encrypted by the wireless link prior to transmission to the interface client so that only the interface client can access the formatted content.